


His Other Half

by hellofromorlando



Series: Gold [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Feels, Gen, M/M, Swearing, also claude is like a great friend? i cant believe anyone would hurt him, and a little excerpt in the middle for you annette fans, sorry this is so late its the longest part so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 11:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21117989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellofromorlando/pseuds/hellofromorlando
Summary: Months after the night of the ball, Dimitri suddenly notices Dedue's missing earring. Not knowing what he was getting into, he offers to duplicate it, so he can give it to Dedue as a thank you gift. When the time comes around, he does just that.





	His Other Half

The fresh breeze that came with the new coming spring of the Pegasus Moon was a revitalizing breath for Dimitri. Though he enjoyed the cold weather, the memories of home that came with it brought too much stress for him. 

Dimitri plucked strands from a patch of grass outside the Blue Lions Classroom of the Officer's Academy, his mind finally focused on one thing at a time. It was relieving, and possibly his favorite day of the year because of this.

Relaxation. Such a wonderful thing, but something you couldn't have constantly or else it would only end with even more stress.

"So, Dimitri, come here to chill out too for once?" the Golden Deer leader asked, plopping down beside him on the grass, spreading his legs out and propping his arms to support his neck. Claude always looked so leisurely, always going with the flow. Dimitri was slightly envious. Maybe a bit too envious, as his next statement took it a bit too far.

"I'm just taking a day of rest. I guess you wouldn't understand, though, would you?" Dimitri paused, ripping a chunk of grass from the ground and realizing how vile his actions were. "Since you're always so _busy_ with your noble work, lounging around the ground without a care in the world."

Claude paused, sitting up and glaring at Dimitri for a moment, and then wore an expression of hurt. "You're an asshole sometimes, you know that?" Claude choked, before storming off to who knows where.

Dimitri knows Claude's words ring true. He's been told that same phrase plenty of times.

Well, guess his day free of stress was over with now.

\---

"Your Highness, are you okay? You look upset," Dedue, his ever-caring vassal asked him. Dimitri looked back at him, and considered telling him, but decided not to out of respect.

"I don't want to impose," Dimitri replied apologetically.

"You never impose, Your Highness. I am glad to hear whatever it is you want to say," Dedue said, gently smiling towards Dimitri making his heart warm up in a way that he hadn't felt in months. 

"Thank you, Dedue," Dimitri said, folding his hands and considering his words before he explained his situation. "It's a bit weird, but... Claude has been outwardly avoiding me for the past week. I know I may have said some offensive words to him when he last spoke, but I didn't know it would push him this far."

Dedue's eyebrows raised slightly, probably at the fact that Claude, of all people, was the source of Dimitri's problem. His expression soon faded, returning to his neutral expression. "I didn't know you two were friends," he mumbled curiously before continuing, "I think what you may have said to him may have hit a soft spot for him. What exactly did you say to him?" Dedue asked, tilting his head in interest.

"I may have said..." Dimitri bit his lip, "something along the lines of how his duties as a noble consist of lounging around and not caring about anything?"

All of a sudden, Hilda interjected, one of the last people anyone would expect to see in the Knight's Hall. Why was she here anyway?

"That is the worst thing you could ever say to Claudie," Hilda scolded, waving her finger and clicking her tongue in disappointment. "He takes pride and joy into the work he puts in to keep his friends alive and his family safe."

Dimitri felt a pang of guilt coarse through him. The poor guy... and of course, this was all because Dimitri had continued to hurt others' feelings.

"Then what do I do?" Dimitri asked in a small voice, his eyes avoiding any sort of contact with anybody.

Hilda did not like this avoidance of attention, lifting up his chin and looking straight into his cerulean eyes. It made Dimitri extremely uncomfortable, his body shifting under her scrutinizing gaze.

"Don't be stupid," Hilda conceded, and Dimitri gave her an incredulous look at the boldness in that statement. He liked it when people weren't afraid to say things like that to him, though. "...and put Claude's feelings into account before you say something. Before you apologize, analyze your wording before you say it out loud. If he's avoiding you, then he's probably in a fragile state when he's around you. So you should be careful what you say and how you say it. Even someone as chill as Claude can break, and trust me: he's scary when he breaks like that. He's not himself."

Dimitri could almost relate to Claude in that last statement, and it made him feel a bit more relieved to be able to relate to him in that way. Someone who knew what it was like to have a dark side. Someone else whose weakness was their own self. A beast locked in a cage, as Felix would phrase it.

"Just think about it," said Hilda, not even waiting for Dimitri's response. "I hope things work out between you two. You seem like you could be great friends if you gave the effort." And with that, she was gone. Probably back to her dorm to fall asleep.

Dimitri sighed, rubbing a hand through his locks before eyeing Dedue. His friend looked so unperturbed in this moment, like a lifetime of standing at arm's length from others never stopped him from feeling so at peace. It is the reason that Dimitri enjoyed his company so.

"Dedue, would you like to take a walk?" Dimitri asked, hoping to get his mind off of all of the bullshit and the drama that went on in this school, since Dedue was so much different than all of it, so detached.

"I would love to," Dedue responded, and Dimitri noticed for a split second that the white-haired man had smiled until it faded away before he could stain it in his mind forever.

Dimitri paced through the gardens, looking at all of the lovely flowers that the professor and Seteth worked hard to grow and maintain throughout their time at the academy.

"These ones are beautiful," Dimitri said, paying close attention to a pot full of large, vibrant red flowers, its sharp leaves stemming off into a hundred different directions. 

Dedue kneeled down beside him, but always made sure to keep his appropriate distance. Dimitri longed for him to be just a little bit closer to him, just for once, but Dimitri always had to hold out his feelings for respect for Dedue's boundaries.

"Those are Duscur flowers," Dedue mentioned, his eyes fixated on the florid blooms himself. "They originate from my home region. I've actually been taking care of these for the past few months, as Lorenz asked me to help him out because he began to focus on his studies."

Dimitri was barely even listening, his mind only focusing on how curious Dedue seemed when it came to this specific plant. Like he was missing something that he knew he wouldn't see in a long time.

"I would like to visit Duscur sometime," Dimitri added, and Dedue had an expression of surprise that he did not often see twice in a week, much less a day. Dimitri was savoring in these moments. They were so rare but so valuable to him.

"I see," Dedue responded after a long pause, standing back up and reaching a hand out to assist Dimitri to get up as well, Dimitri kindly rejecting his offer to stand up on his own. "Then I must show you around some time."

Dimitri grinned. "I would love that."

\---

Dimitri's heart was racing, and his thumbs were again doing a frantic dance at the same pace of each beat. He had been waiting much too long here to see Claude, but in reality he was probably only there for a few minutes. 

"Dimitri?" A breezy voice acknowledged, drawing Dimitri's attention towards the reception hall. Soon enough, the boy clad in yellow sat down beside him, his hair messier than normal. Dimtri gazed into his verdant eyes, searching for any damage that may have still remained from his own rash decisions.

Once he was settled, he started to speak. "I saw your letter. What did you want to talk about?" He spoke coolly, but Dimitri could tell that he was putting up a front. The way that Claude spoke so formally, his posture stiff and uncomfortable, it was almost creepily abnormal to him.

Dimitri gripped onto the bench, then looked back up to his friend. "Last week, those things I said... it was wrong. I'm sorry," Dimitri paused, taking a deep breath to calm his heartbeat, and then continued. "What I mean is, I didn't mean any of it. I was in the wrong state of mind, and some stupid words spit out of my mouth."

Claude widened his eyes, but then sighed. "It's okay, Dimitri. Just... it's good to hear you say that. I'm sorry for pushing you over the edge too." And just like that, the over-the-top reserved look was replaced with a cool, comfortable one as Claude could finally relax again in Dimitri's presence. 

"Well, that was a relief, huh?" Claude chuckled. "I was afraid we weren't gonna be friends ever again. It broke my heart." Claude feigned sadness, putting on a pout and making a heart with his hands and ripping them apart. Dimitri laughed along with Claude's immaturity.

"I'm glad too," Dimitri agreed.

And so they spoke for hours in the spring breeze, just two friends who finally appreciated each others' presence again. Until a slightly touchy subject was brought up by none other than Claude.

"So, Dimitri... have you found love at the academy yet?" Claude winked, elbowing Dimitri's side. The prince shrugged.

After all that had happened with the professor, he decided that romance was too much of a distraction, and that no matter how much effort he put in to any relationship, it would always just lead to disappointment.

"I did," Dimitri honestly answered, which surprised nobody but him, "a few months ago, actually. But unfortunately, they did not return the feelings."

Claude frowned, a look of sympathy on his face. "Aw man, I know how that feels. It really sucks," and before Dimitri could stop him, Claude told his story. "I had a crush on Leonie months ago. Like man, she really is cute once you get past her tougher exterior. Well it turns out, she wasn't really interested in me, which is fine. But it hurts, you know? To know that the one person you want to be with isn't even interested in you. Well, turns out Leonie wasn't the only person. Once I lost my focus on her after a few weeks of feeling in the dumps, Hilda asked me out on a date. Actually, a few. They all went pretty well, and so now we're going steady. If you know what I mean," Claude insinuated, elbowing the prince’s side. Dimitri face palmed, but the prince was too oblivious to know what Claude actually meant. Claude picked up on this, taking a slow breath to ready his explanation.

"What I mean is, even though the professor rejected you, there's probably someone out there that's even better meant for you. And it could be someone that you're already super close to. Like me and Hilda," Claude suggested. Dimitri didn't remember mentioning that he had been in love with the professor, but brushed it off as nothing.

Was there someone out there for Dimitri? He had thought Byleth was the one for so long, that at this point he had no idea. Then again, he had only just turned eighteen a month ago, so maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but it hadn't shown up for him yet.

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Claude asked, leaning his head against the back of the bench in unwavered interest. When Dimitri didn't respond, Claude sat up again in annoyance.

"Okay, if you won't answer me, I'll guess," Claude suggested, and put on a face as if he was thinking long and hard.

"Is it Ingrid?"

Ingrid... Dimitri did find her a rather attractive woman. She's strong, very determined, and always put together. She was also a very loyal friend. But Dimtri couldn't ever see himself dating her.

"What about... Mercedes? She's got a pretty nice bod," Claude smirked, and Dimitri frowned at him. This is why Hilda is most likely his soulmate, the only one who could outmatch his unabashed language.

Dimitri could admit that he had considered Mercedes, but... no. He felt that she was more of a mother figure than anything, and her times healing his wounds on the battlefield or praying for others in the cathedral just confirmed that. His feelings for her went towards unconditional rather than romantic. 

"Okay, so it's not Mercedes or Ingrid," Claude said, counting his fingers as if he had a list on his hand, "What about Annette? Can't go wrong with a good ginger, and a pretty one at that."

Annette was a sweet girl, and Dimitri had always wanted to be her friend. But that was merely it. He also felt awkward dating the daughter of someone he was so close to nowadays.

Claude recounted his fingers, considering the other options. "Well, you obviously can't like someone outside of the Blue Lions House, considering you're more of a person who would fall in love with someone that they've known for a long time or are already really close to." How could Claude read him that well?

"Wait a minute! Maybe... you like a dude," Claude considered, saying it like he was the smartest man in the world. In this moment, Dimitri could agree for once.

"A dude? You mean like... a man?" Dimitri questioned with an inquisitive yet exasperated tone.

"Yes, a man," Claude laughed, patting Dimitri on the shoulder. "You know, some guys like dudes, too. In fact, Linhardt and Dorothea are both interested in men and women, from what I've been told. There could be even more that we know, who knows?"

Seriously? Dimitri had thought Claude was joking at first, but if that statement about Linhardt and Dorothea was true, then maybe Dimitri did need to consider this option. Though, if he was in love with a man, it would be difficult to handle as the future king of Faerghus. He would do something to sort things out eventually, if this was the case.

"I see," Claude said, reading the expression from Dimitri's face, deducing that he should continue his search from there. "If I'm thinking of the guys from your house, which are probably the ones you are closest to, then it must be Ashe, Sylvain, Dedue, or Felix. Now I'm just thinking of which one may have caught your attention the most..." 

Claude's long pause allowed time for Dimitri to think.

Ashe, Felix, Sylvain, or Dedue...

He knew it wasn't Sylvain. Though they may have known each other for a long time, he's always felt that their personalities never really clicked together. Their lifestyles and outlooks on life were far too different for them to be comfortable with each other.

Now Ashe, Dimitri could admit, was adorable. Even a bit attractive in his own sweet way, when he thought about it. Dimitri still didn't know if he felt that way about Ashe. He would go back to that one.

Felix... now Felix was complicated. He knew the boy had changed his mind about his feelings towards Dimitri recently, but Dimitri couldn't help but dearly miss those days when they used to be friends. He felt that he could fall in love with Felix one day, but also felt that it was wrong and that they had grown too far apart at this point to actually form a lasting relationship.

That left... Dedue. Dimitri knew that Dedue could do so many things to him, heat up his face when he even showed a hint of kindness, give Dimitri the urge to hug or kiss him when he least expects it, or even make Dimitri fall apart trying to get through to him to form a true friendship. 

After all of the years that they had known each other and spent every hour by each other's side, Dimitri longed to know more about him. He felt that he had only scraped the edges of who Dedue was, even though he was the one who knew the man the most. 

He loved Dedue, he knew, but was it romantic? Possibly, actually. The way he felt about Dedue showed very similar signs to the ones he noticed when he was in love with Byleth. Though these signs had been occurring since long before he met Byleth, and made him realize that Byleth may have just been a little crush compared to what he felt for Dedue.

How did he not know this sooner?

"You have been an immense help, Claude," Dimitri said, shaking his friend's hand and departing before Claude could ask what he helped with. 

Claude smirked in realization as he watched Dimitri return to his dorms, with a new spunk in his step. Maybe Claude was a genius.

\---

Dedue was watering the flowers in the greenhouse when Dimitri approached him from behind.

"Dedue," Dimitri said, making his presence known. Tha Duscur man put down the watering can and turned his head around to meet Dimitri's calm pools of blue.

"Hello, Your High—"

"Dimitri," the prince corrected, interrupting Dedue's greeting. "My name is Dimitri."

Dedue bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything, still unable to speak his liege's first name aloud.

"It's okay, Dedue," Dimitri sighed, still not getting through to him, "I know you don't feel comfortable yet."

Dimitri wanted to hear him say it, almost wanted to force it out of him to break this barrier that was much too strong between them. Dimitri wanted to get to know him more than he wanted to get to know anybody else. And eventually, Dimitri wanted to give Dedue new names: my darling, my beloved, my love — but that was looking too far into the future. Doubtful that Dedue would feel the same.

"How is the garden going?" Dimitri casually asked, trying to turn the conversation into something more light and easier to converse with. Dimitri noticed that Dedue's eyes glowed with pride at the mention of his garden.

"I have been taking great care of my plants. I have even grown so used to watering these same plants that I have grown another garden outside of the dining hall," he described earnestly, almost insisting to Dimitri that he wanted him to check it out.

Dimitri caught on to his sign, asking Dedue the question that the Duscur man's eyes were begging for: "I would like to see that little garden then. Would you mind showing me?"

Dedue showed a hint of a smile, placed down his watering can, and stood up immediately. He walked over and held the door out for Dimitri, simply stating, "Let us go."

\---

The gardens were a much more serene place than Dimitri could ever imagine. It made him feel relieved to know that there was someplace that could act as a haven of peace away from his chaotic life.

Dimitri looked at the flowers, intricate and loved to the core, cared for with the gentlest grace in their delicate petals. Dedue, with the most mother-like nurturing, grew these flowers into what they now look like. Dedue, the man who would fight any battle with his bare fists and always comes out the victor. Dedue… the man who would proudly protect Dimitri at all costs, even with his own life. His insides bubbled at the thought of himself feeling so much love for the man beside him, though his nerves were telling him that maybe he had fallen too hard.

Dimitri spotted Dedue standing next to him, his hand on his chin, discreetly searching for Dimitri’s approval. 

“Its—” Dimitri started, but the words caught on his tongue. He had no words. He was too lost in these thoughts, these intimate, emotional thoughts, to be focused on what he had to say. All because of some stupid flowers. 

After a long pause, Dimitri noticed his impoliteness, and bit his lip in embarrassment. “Apologies, Dedue. My mind had wandered elsewhere for a moment.”

“It’s alright, Your Highness. I don’t expect you to give me any feedback. I only hoped you enjoy the peaceful scenery,” Dedue voiced, nodding his head and turning back to the bush, touching the petals with his hands so delicately that he could considered the plant his child. Dimitri liked seeing Dedue like this. So much, that it took him a while and a few concerned glances to get him out of this reverie.

“Your Highness?” Dedue asked, finally, finally breaking his trance. Dimitri, utterly embarrassed and a little warm in the cheeks, scavenged his mind for an excuse for staring. And when his eyes decided to wander towards the speck of gold dangling from Dedue’s ear, he found it.

Dimitri reached out and gently held the piece of jewelry between his fingers. “Dedue, your earring. Where is it from?”

“It’s from Duscur,” he explained, eyes fixed on Dimitri’s arm. “My mother gave them to me. These earrings were passed down in my family for several generations.”

Dimitri noticed something strange in that statement. What did he mean by ‘these’? Was there another? 

“What happened to the other earring?” he instead inquired, still pertaining to his thoughts.

“I lost it years ago. I must have taken it off somewhere, and carelessly left it behind.” Dedue looked like he wanted to say more, but restrained himself.

“I’m sorry, Dedue. I hope there’s some way it can return to you,” Dimitri sympathized, rubbing his shoulder. He knew what it was like to lose something valuable and irreplaceable to him.

“Thank you for your sympathies, your Highness. I hope so too,” he sighed, and then returned to his neutral expression by only the slightest upturn of his lips.

Dimitri, contented with cheering Dedue’s mood for once, decided it was best to listen to Dorothea's distant aria as the silence between them became what was not unfamiliar, but rather comforting.

\---

It was nearing the end of the year. Only a few more weeks left until the professor would have their holy induction, or whatever Rhea referred to it as. 

He was afraid that he would never see any of the people that he grew so close to when he left: since he was an adult now, he was no longer restrained by the shackles of youth, now eligible to serve as king. 

So, he decided to give each of them a gift: a commemoration of what friendship they had, because it may never return. He knew all too well that the flame of friendship was not as everlasting as some may believe, especially if you are too busy to build relationships with others. If that was his greatest burden, then so be it. Although, he did not want this burden to fall upon his friends as well, which is his purpose in making these gifts.

He had already lined up all of the gifts he had prepared so far, each wrapped neatly in blue cloth to keep it a secret. He only had one gift to go after this, after all. He would save that one for later. For now, he thought of giving out the gifts before he had lost track of them, or his friends had found them before he was able to offer it to them.

\---

He found Annette in the library, her face stuffed in another book about curse spells. When Dimitri approached her and tapped her shoulder, she jumped as if she had been doing something bad and the teacher had caught her.

“D-Dimitri?! W-what are you doing here?” she asked, jumbling over her own words. It seemed that she hadn’t been expecting anybody to disturb her studies this late at night.

Wordlessly, Dimitri stretched out his hands, holding the gift he had prepared for her. Her eyes widened, understanding the situation.

“Is this… for me?” she asked, staring at the velvet cloth. 

“Yes,” Dimitri smiled. “From a big brother to his little sister.”

Annette giggled at that, and opened the gift. In the package, she found a wooden carving of herself standing beside her parents, and Dimitri standing back to back with Annette.

“You— you made this?” Dimitri nodded sheepishly. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.” And before he could push her away, Annette pulled Dimitri into a tight squeeze.

\---

Before he knew it, he had already passed all of his gifts out.

For Felix, he got him a dagger; as a commemoration of the closeness that they once had and the future they will spend away from each other. He gave Mercedes a sewing kit, handcrafting the needles himself, and engraved with “not an amateur anymore thanks to you - D”. Sylvain got a journal, a way where he can organize himself into one place, since the man was a mess. Ingrid received a new set of armor, something that took Dimitri a while to make but thought it was well-deserved for the amount of dedication she’s shown to defending the kingdom until her dying breath. Ashe was given a load of sugar candies along with a novel about a man named Robin Hood. Finally, Claude got a book of poetry and a small portion of scarcely pernicious poison hidden in the cover.

He was left with one more gift: Dedue’s. He had been trying to conjure up some idea of what Dedue might enjoy, like maybe a watering can. He thought that too trivial, though; it had to be something impactful, and though Dimitri knew Dedue would most likely never forget him, or leave his side at that, he had an alternative motive for this gift. He wanted this gift to make a statement. To insinuate the feelings that he had been bottling up inside himself for so long.

His thoughts drifted to the day in the garden, the day that he had the concrete realization that he was in love with Dedue. And that gave him an idea. He ran back to the blacksmith, the one he hadn’t spoken to ever since that day of the Ethereal Moon. A slightly painful memory that ailed him, but relevant to the situation nonetheless.

\---

It was the night before their monthly mission, and Dimitri had finally finished preparing Dedue’s gift. The warm air of spring was upon them, and Dimitri reveled in the way the cool breeze would hit him whenever he walked past a building. He had been searching for Dedue for about half an hour, though usually Dedue was only gone for at most ten minutes from Dimitri’s side.

Either Dedue was asleep, or he was outright avoiding the prince. Though the first one seemed a more convincing abatement. 

And so he was right. After a few knocks on the door of Dedue’s dormitory, the door swung open, and two striking verdant eyes met his.

“Your Highness,” he greeted, bowing his head. Dimitri’s stomach churned by how disgustingly polite it was. Could Dedue never greet him as a friend rather than some deity? “What brings you here?”

Dimitri grabbed Dedue’s arm and pulled the taller man out of the doorway, not caring that one of them was in their pajamas, wandering around the monastery. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”

And so the two boys scurried throughout the grounds of the monastery, quietly and respectfully going through the cathedral to reach the landmark that Dimitri had been pursuing: the Goddess Tower.

“What brings us here, Your Highness?” Dedue asked, staring up in awe. The Goddess Tower was much more mesmerizing in the evening — the candles that adorned the sealed doors shedding light on the vines that clung to and crawled up the brick walls, and the moon peeking behind the building, giving it a natural luminescence that would remain unseen during the daytime.

After a distant pause, though appropriate to allow Dedue take in the sight before him, Dimitri added, “Please, at least in the moment, say my real name. It will make this situation far less… uncomfortable.” He couldn’t find the right word for it, but Dedue seemed to know what he meant.

“Of course, Dimitri,” Dedue nodded compliantly. “Though please excuse me if I slip up. It is merely natural for me to call you by your formal title.” 

Dimitri dismissed that last statement, instead moving on to what he sent them there for. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small cloth in his hand.

“When I was younger, before I met you, a man had taught me something. If I held feelings for someone — the kind of feelings that brings you to care for and love them so much that you would choose to spend the rest of you life with them, then I should smelt them some jewelry. A piece of jewelry that not only has value, but is sentimental and a memoir of our relationship.” 

Dimitri paused, taking a deep breath. This is what he had prepared for. All these years, keeping these feelings inside — oblivious to the fact that he had been madly in love with this man for years, the man who had saved him from losing everything. “And recently, I had been thinking — why had I not found that person? I am going to be crowned king soon enough, and nobody had entered my life and made an impact on me enough to make me realize that that person is the _ one _.” He paused a moment, letting the words seep in. Which he really hoped they were, or else all of this would be pointless. “Last month, I had a talk with Claude. And to be honest? I really needed that talk. It made me realize that the one I was searching for, the one that meant so much to me, was standing by my side the whole time.”

After all of that, Dedue remained silent. This made Dimitri’s heart jitter with both anticipation and anxiety, but he tried to keep his cool. On the other hand, his mind screamed, ‘Say something, dammit!’

“Dimitri…” Dedue finally uttered, a weak, gentle, and compassionate voice. An expression that Dedue barely ever unveiled, and in a way it made Dimitri want to cry. The way he had said his name, as if letting his guard down, made Dimitri desire for him to say his name again and again and again, every single day, in just that way. He wanted to see and hear the _ real _ Dedue, always and forever. 

“What are you holding?” He asked instead, disregarding Dimitri’s entire spiel about how Dimitri was _ madly in love with him _ and wanted to _ spend the rest of his days _ with Dedue by his side. This would have to suffice for the moment.

Dimitri unwrapped the cloth with utmost care, revealing the golden earring inside. It seemed, even from memory, Dimitri was able to make an exact replica of Dedue’s other earring. That just proves Dimitri spent way too much time staring at Dedue, which he is surprised the man didn’t notice by this point. 

The Duscur man’s magnificent hues shone in shock. Subjectively, he had not expected something so beautiful, so meaningful to come from Dimitri. But then again, Dimitri was able to surprise anyone with how much he really cared about others.

“Thank you, Dimitri. I-I do not know how to repay you. This is a wonderful gift,” Dedue thanked, placing the earring through the empty ear hole. Dedue was always a sight to behold and cherish, but now that he looked so perfect, not even the breeze could cool down Dimitri’s rapidly heating cheeks.

“I do not ask anything of you, Dedue. Only that you stay by my side until my bitter end. And even then, if you do not want to stick by my side, I will still not ask for anything in return.”

Dedue looked Dimitri directly in the eyes, nearly scrutinizing him. “Why… why did you give this jewelry, may I ask? I merely do not understand the reasoning. I understand that you gave the others gifts for parting ways, but why me? I will not be leaving your side. Unless you are expecting me to.”

Dimitri’s eyes widened, and he frantically waved his arms in front of him. When would Dedue ever get the hint? “No, no! That isn’t what I meant by it at all! In fact, it’s the complete opposite for you, Dedue. I gave you this because I want you to know that I want you to stay with me.” 

“Oh,” Dedue chuckled, and Dimitri was infected by the laugh too. Dedue was just too cute, and it made Dimitri cringe because of how much he loved it. “Well, in that case, I gratefully accept. I will stay by your side for as long as you like, Dimitri.”

Dimitri, though still flustered, held Dedue’s hand and looked up at him. “Do you truly mean it?”

“Of course, Dimitri. There is no one I would rather stand by than you.” 

The two shared a warm embrace — initiated by Dimitri, of course — the first hug they had shared ever since that fateful night.

And though Dimitri had lost everything, at least he had Dedue.


End file.
